At least five vehicles and their owners experienced break-ins at a Chapel Hill business on Monday, with a sixth reported nearby.
According to reports filed by the Chapel Hill Police Department, five vehicle owners reported break-ins while parked at East Franklin Car Care or the Exxon gas station, located at 1710 East Franklin Street. While two cars were reportedly unlocked, two cars had broken windows and one had a “dome light” listed as damaged. Owners did not report any property immediately missing from the vehicles, according to police reports, several said it was clear items inside had been disturbed.
All the reports of break-ins at the East Franklin Street located happened between 9:26 a.m. and 10:04 a.m., with police saying in reports the vehicles were last known to be secure in the early morning hours.
Chapel Hill Police also reported a vehicle break-in at the Lutheran Services Carolina ATT on 891 Willow Drive shortly after. A vehicle parked at the non-profit mental health service also saw its window broken and had evidence of “rummaging” through the vehicle.
Break-ins to vehicles are common during the summer months in Chapel Hill, with the police department regularly warning community members to take caution about where and how vehicles are parked. Following a string of 215 break-in cases between March and September 2020, police leadership urged motorists to always lock doors, leave windows rolled up and not have valuables in plain sight.
Other tips suggested by Chapel Hill Police include parking in well-lit areas or places with higher foot traffic.
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